Duke University Police Department has made replacing four unoperational Segways part of its vehicular budget proposal, an effort to use eco-friendly alternatives for short patrols typically made by car.
DUPD currently has several battery-powered electric security vehicles in its fleet. These include first-generation Segways and T3s, both of which offer a number of impressive benefits: no gas, easy battery charging and operating costs of only pennies per day, DUPD Crime Prevention Manager David Williams wrote in an e-mail. He added that replacing the Segways will cost approximately $19,000.
Segways are 11 times more efficient than the average American car, according to Segway's Web site. T3s are slightly more equipped, featuring a 9-inch raised platform that offers visibility above a crowd.
"The Segways are an excellent alternative transportation method for our staff," Maj. Gloria Graham, DUPD operations commander, wrote in an e-mail. "They allow us to quickly move about the interior of campus, gardens and other tight spaces."
In particular, the vehicles have proved to be valuable for security at football games and "especially handy" for emergency calls from inside a large crowd, Graham said.
"The T3s are equipped with blue lights and a siren so the officers can use them to move crowds of people or get places where a car cannot reach, all while being environmentally conscious," she added.
Junior Yishan Cheng, president of the Environmental Alliance, welcomes the change.
"I think it's great that the University is making such an effort to become more energy efficient," she said.
Transportation is a key area for sustainable improvement, and the Environmental Alliance has largely focused on bringing greener changes to campus transit. The Duke Bikes program, a bike-loaning service spearheaded by the Environmental Alliance, has been in high demand since its introduction in August 2007.
Although proud of the recent improvements, the organization is far from satisfied, Cheng said. She said greater challenges are on the path of improving campus transportation and that she hopes to see more change.
"The buses seem to be a big energy sink, but I know the University is and has been working on it," Cheng said. "I just hope they fix things quickly."
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